Happy New Year!!!

I put some pictures together from the end of the old year. The duck on the bottom is a singing and dancing stuffed animal which we sent to my husband's father in Minnesota for Christmas. He collects those and they seem to make him really happy. It made me happy too, when I tried it out before I wrapped it up. Maybe I should start collecting, too ;o) The Christmas tree was our own, decorated with olive-gold ornaments and birds (see in another pic). The chandelier pic was taken at the New Years Party at the Sheraton Hotel Nuremberg. Unfortunately a really lame event. But at least the food was good :o) 

Happy New Year my friends, known and unknown. All The Best for you and your families in 2013!

I heart Oatmeal Raisin Cookies (Haferflocken Rosinen Kekse)

Of course I am using my summers in the US to try out most everything that is unknown to me foodwise. Especially everything cakie, sweet or dessertish. Last years hype for me was banana bread, this year I fell for Oatmeal Raisin Cookies. The mixture of oatmeal, cinnamon, vanilla and raisins really does it for me. And the best thing is that one doesn`t need to feel guilty either: they have whole grain in them, no?! So they are actually HEALTHY and no sweets (or so my brain says).

I used the days after Christmas to look up different recipes, compare them and bake and alter them. So today I finally came up with a cookie result that was all satisfying to me.

They are quick and easy to whip up and stay good for several days in an airtight container. These make a great breakfast, snack on the go or even a coffeetime-treat for your grandmother.

So, here's the recipe:

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

My pretty cookie

100g unsalted butter (room temperature)
100g brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
100g all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
250g rolled oats
150g dried raisins

(If you can`t find brown sugar, either use European "brauner Zucker" or make your own. You need Molasses (Melasse, available on the internet) and regular white sugar. Just add one tablespoon of molasses to 100g of sugar. Mix well with a hand mixer or electric mixer. The mixture is supposed to look slightly wet. It can be stored in a container or bag for the next use, if you wish to make more than you need this time.
Vanilla extract is available in bigger department stores (e.g. Karstadt) or health food stores. I recommend Spice Island from Karstadt).

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 

Add the room temperature butter and sugar to a bowl and beat until creamy. Add egg and vanilla extract and beat to combine. 

In a seperate bowl mix together flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Add to the creamy mixture and beat until combined. 

Last stir in the oats and raisins. At this point you could also add some chopped up nuts or chocolate chips if you like. 

Depending on how big you like your cookies, form balls and then press them flat with your hand onto the lined baking sheet. They should be about 1 to 1,5 cm thick at this point.    

Bake the cookies for about 12 minutes. They should just be slightly browned around the edges and are supposed to be still soft and a little wet in the center, when you pull them out.

Let them cool off and store them in an airtight container (if you are not like me and eat them all immediately).